


Bringing Kensi Home.

by Wendymypooh



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-09-01 20:11:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16772059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wendymypooh/pseuds/Wendymypooh
Summary: Deeks and Kensi share an emotional reunion after Deeks, Callen, and Sam,  rescue her from the Taliban.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In the first chapter, dialogue from Season 5. Episode 19 'Spoils of War' is used to set up this story.

Chapter One 

Deeks’s heart raced as he strolled through Camp Chapman in search of Kensi. In a camp bustling with activity, a myriad of noises filled the air. None were able to drown out the sound of his own heart pounding in his ears. All he could think about was finding Kensi and holding her. He couldn’t believe that less than twenty-four hours ago, he had thought she was dead, slain by her Taliban captors, and the world as he knew it, was over. But she wasn’t dead, they had rescued her, and what he needed most right then, was to be with her. 

As he rounded a corner in the camp, he came to an abrupt halt, when he caught sight of Kensi standing under a camouflage tent, hugging Jack Simon. A sharp pain sliced through him, but he quickly cast it away. This was no time for petty jealousy. Kensi'd survived a torturous hell to come back to him, and he wasn’t about to do anything to make things harder on her. 

Besides, he had known about Jack Simon. During one of their cases, she'd been questioning a suspect who was suffering from PTSD, when she'd revealed how she once knew someone who'd suffered from it as well. She'd tried to help Jack but couldn’t. One day she woke to find Jack gone and wondered what happened to him. Deeks could only imagine how Simon’s sudden reappearance in Afghanistan was adding to whatever other emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical turmoil Kensi might be dealing with due to her time in captivity.

He stood in indecision for another moment or two, before he continued walking. As he neared, Simon moved out from under the tent with the teenage Afghani girl who'd come back to Camp Chapman with them. 

“Callen talk you into taking her?” 

“Didn’t have to talk too much,” Simon replied. 

“Um, thank you,” Deeks said. He gestured to the girl. “Uh, good luck.” 

"You too,” Jack spoke quietly spoke to the girl before both walked away. 

Deeks continued to the tent, his eyes scanning over Kensi’s battered and bruised form, clothed as she was in dark garb worn by the locals. She looked tired and frail, not something one would normally think about badass Blye, but true nevertheless.

“Hey,” Deeks observed as Kensi watched Simon for a long moment. “I’m really glad you’re alive.”

His words seemed to break through the fragile control Kensi held on her emotions. She nodded at his words, tears flooding her eyes, and she started to break down, turning toward him, and without saying anything, Deeks pulled her into his arms. He held her tight, as she clung to him and wept. 

Deeks closed his eyes, feeling his own emotions overflowing, as he held the woman he loved in his arms. Rage and fear gave way to relief and gratitude. Knowing she was alive, even though she wasn’t entirely okay, eased some of his tension. 

Having Deeks hold her, made Kensi feel safe. She used to think there would never be another man’s arms that could ever make her feel as safe and protected, as her dad’s. Even Jack’s hugs never made her feel this way. Maybe it was because she had spent so much time in her and Jack’s relationship making sure he felt loved and protected, that his embraces could never measure up to her dad’s. Deeks’ hugs were different though. 

Hell, everything about him was different, but not in a bad way. He and Jack were two very different types of men; neither better or worse than the other. She relished the feel of Deeks’ arms around her, even as she desperately tried to get her emotions under control. 

“How come you never hug me like that, huh?” 

She and Deeks heard Callen’s comment at the same time, followed by Sam’s amused laughter, and hastily pulled away from each other. Deeks turned away for a moment, brushing the moisture from his eyes with his thumbs, while Kensi hastily wiped her own, as their teammates joined them. 

Kensi turned to face Sam and Callen. The two senior agents stopped being just her teammates a long time ago. They were not only her brothers-in-arms but brothers of her heart as well. She was so very grateful to them and Deeks for coming to rescue her. Words could never express how much their actions truly meant to her, but she had to tell them something.

“Thank you, guys, for what you did.” 

Sam smiled at her. She was one hell of a woman, as strong and capable of defending herself, as his wife Michelle. Rescuing her was what a SEAL did for one of their own. Kensi was a member of his extended family, along with Callen, Hetty, Nell, Eric, and Deeks. He gave her a slight nod. “They laid out a spread for us in mess. Wheels up in two hours. Granger got us a direct flight into Edwards.” 

Callen silently studied Kensi, his blue eyes scanning over her, assessing her physical injuries. He hoped that any hidden ones she might have would heal as easy as those in plain sight. "See you at mess.” 

“See you at mess.” Deeks echoed Callen’s words as he watched the two senior agents walk away, leaving him and Kensi alone. 

Kensi turned around and once again stared across the base at another camouflage shelter where Jack Simon and the Afghani girl were awaiting their transport out of Camp Chapman. 

“It was really bad.” She murmured, her turbulent emotions rising to the surface once again. 

Deeks felt a knife slice through him at her emotion-laden words, his own mind filled with all the horrific atrocities that she might have experienced while she was captive. The memories of his own time being tortured a few months earlier were fresh enough to make him still have nightmares, from time to time.

“Ssh. Oh, come here, come here,” Without hesitation, he reached out and pulled her into his arms again. 

She went willingly into them, seeking the comfort only he could give her.

“It’s okay. I’ve got you.” He murmured in her ear, one hand caressing her hair. “We’re going home. We’re going home.” 

“Home.”


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Kensi lay with her head cradled in Deeks’ lap, and her battered body stretched out along one section of seats in the cargo hold of the Boeing C-17 Globemaster 3 flying them home to the United States. It would be good to be back in California. 

There were moments over the past week when she thought she would never live to see California again. That she would never see him, Callen, Sam, or the rest of her team again. 

She had known her team would come for her but had thought it would be too late. Her Taliban captors had interrogated and tortured her and Jack daily. The pain had been excruciating, but she hadn’t broken. She gave them nothing they could use against the United States. 

She was proud of that. She knew her dad would be too. She shifted slightly on the hard seats and gasped as a spike of intense pain sliced through her right side. 

The medics back at Camp Chapman told her she had three broken ribs on her right side, and four bruised ones on her left. She had a split lip, her left eye was black, and she wore a multitude of cuts, bruises, and abrasions over most of her body. 

She was glad that her captors hadn’t added sexual assault to their torture repertoire. Her broken bones would mend, her cuts and abrasions would heal, and her bruises would fade away in time. She knew that her emotional and mental scars from her ordeal would take longer to heal, but if she had been raped too…

She turned her head against that thought and felt Deeks’ hand slide off the back of her head. He stirred, and she quickly closed her eyes, not wanting him to see that she was still awake, so he would drift back into slumber. 

“Kensi?” 

She pondered pretending, to be asleep, but knew it was pointless. He had a sixth sense about seeing through any pretenses she made, which was really annoying at times. Not right now though. She opened her eyes and gazed up at his concerned countenance. 

“I’m fine, Deeks.” She whispered, not wanting to awaken Callen or Sam, who slept in their seats across from them. 

He looked like hell. There were dark shadows under his eyes, and inch or two of growth on his face, and behind the worry and concern in his blue eyes, there was a haunted look. What had he done on her behalf to make it appear in his eyes? 

He ran a hand through his unruly blond curls and yawned. “Are you sure? Medics back at Camp Chapman said the pain meds they administered to you would wear off mid-flight.” 

“I’m good for now.” She told him. “Could use some water though.” 

He reached down beside him and hefted his canteen up. He unscrewed the top and handed it to her. He slipped one arm underneath her head to prop her upward as she thirstily drank of the lukewarm water. 

The effort to do so made her shaky and she dribbled a bit of water onto her chin. She felt it trickle down the side of her neck and wet the neckline of her shirt. She held the canteen out to him and wiped the moisture from her face with the back of her hand, before laying her head back down. 

he slipped his hand out from under her head, and after taking a long swallow of water, screwed the lid back into place. He lowered the canteen back to the floor beside him. 

“You comfortable?" He asked her. 

She smiled up at him. “Is anyone ever comfortable aboard a Boeing?” 

He grinned, then sobered. “You know what I mean.” 

“You make a good pillow.” She said, hoping to ease his worry a little. 

“That’s what all the ladies say.” He quipped. 

Kensi chuckled, and instantly regretted it as pain spiked through her torso again. “Ow, don’t make me laugh.” 

"Sorry.” He apologized, his worry for her ratcheting up a notch. “You sure you don’t want some more pain medicine?” 

“No, it doesn’t hurt that bad.” She was quick to assure him. 

“Want me to kiss it and make the pain go away?" He asked lightly. 

Heat washed over her at his words. What she wouldn’t give to be alone with him right at that moment and let him do just that. But alas, they weren’t alone, and Sam and Callen didn’t know that their partnership had turned personal, as well as professional. 

But damn, she did want him to kiss her. She glanced across the space between the row of seats where Callen and Sam were seated. Callen was slouched to one side, resting his head against the seat next to him. A few seats down from him, Sam sat with his head tilted back and his arms folded across his chest. Both were fast asleep.

“Kiss me?” She whispered to him as she turned her head back to look up at him. 

She saw him glance quickly over at Sam and Callen too. He was being as cautious as she was about not revealing too soon that they were in a dual partnership. 

He lowered his head towards her and she licked her dry lips, feeling a sting of pain as her tongue connected with the gash in the corner of her mouth, a moment before his pressed gently against hers. The kiss was soft and tender and brought tears to her eyes. 

She had wondered whether she would ever share another kiss with him. If she would ever get a chance to touch him or tell him how much she loved him. 

Deeks’ eyes closed against the wave of moisture which flooded over him. Kissing her again was a dream he had wished for during their entire separation, and upon learning of her captivity, had thought he would never experience again. 

He treasured this first kiss of their reunion, even though it was a lot more chaste than he wanted. With reluctance, he drew his head back, breaking the kiss. 

“No.” She protested. 

He smiled. “I wish it didn’t have to end either, but we aren’t alone, and you are not in any condition to do more than kissing, even if we were.”   
She sighed, knowing he was right. Just seeing the pouty look on her face, made him kiss her quickly again. 

“You need to hit the head or anything?” He asked when he ended the kiss. 

“No,” She said, shifting a little, seeking a more comfortable position, and felt pain slice through her torso once again. She bit down on her lip, turning her head quickly, but not quick enough to prevent him from seeing the grimace on her face, because she heard him ask, 

“Kensi, you okay?”

She turned her head to look up at him then, and answered honestly, “I AM hurting a bit.” 

“Why didn’t you say something?” He started to call out to the onboard medic, but she hastily pressed a hand to his mouth. 

“No! I’m not hurting bad enough for more pain meds yet.” She told him.

“Kensi.” He pulled his head away so her hand slid free of his mouth. 

“Please, Deeks…” She pleaded, “I don’t want to be drugged up any more than I already am.” 

“All right.” He said reluctantly, “But if you start really hurting, you better say so."

"I will. I promise." She quickly assured him. 

He gazed at her doubtfully for a moment, then sighed. He gave her another quick peck on the lips before he leaned his head back against the wall of the Boeing and closed his eyes. The last thing she heard before she drifted off was the comforting sound of Deeks' even breathing above her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Henrietta Lange, Nell Jones, and Eric Beale were at Edwards Air Force Base to greet them when they arrived. After an emotional reunion with her boss and friends, Kensi wearily let Deeks escort her out to the parking lot where her vehicle awaited them. 

Without a word, he slid behind the wheel while she eased herself onto the passenger seat. She let out a hiss as she reached up to try and tug her seatbelt across her.

"Let me do it." 

He reached over and fastened the belt into place for her. 

"Thanks."

"Welcome." 

Silence filled the interior as he started the vehicle and pulled it out of the parking lot. At the gate, he flashed both their badges and watched the bar across the exit raise up to allow them past it. 

As he drove, he felt her reach out and slip her hand over his right hand. He interlocked their fingers, the simple gesture filling him with a peace he hadn't felt since she first went away.

She was asleep before they were even off the base. Listening to her even breathing was music to his ears. He'd feared he'd never hear such a wonderful sound again. 

Usually, he liked to listen to music when he was driving, but tonight he left the radio off. Instead, he listened to the sound of her breathing as he worked through his tangled thoughts. 

She needed him to stay strong for her. He needed to get a handle on his turbulent emotions. He couldn't burden her with everything he was feeling right now, because she was in a fragile enough state without him heaping more on top of her. 

Her needs had to come first now. How she thought or felt was more important than anything he was thinking or feeling right now. When she was better, they'd hash out everything. 

It was almost an hour later when he pulled into the assigned parking spot at her apartment complex. He turned off the engine and unfastened his seatbelt. He shifted in his seat to look at her. 

He only saw her in profile, as she'd turned her head to sue the window as a makeshift pillow. Even as battered and bruised as she was, she was still beautiful. He hated to wake her up, but neither was sleeping in the car. 

"Sunshine?" 

She didn't stir. He tried again. 

"Kensilena?" 

Still nothing. She was out to the world. 

He leaned over and gently pressed his lips to the side of her bruised head. 

She stirred and opened her eyes. She yawned and turned to look at him. A shy grin creased her lips as she looked at him. 

"Where are we?" 

"Your apartment complex."

She reached across her to unfasten her seatbelt and winced as pain arced through her torso. 

"Ow!" 

"I'll get it." 

He unfastened her seatbelt and then unfolded his lanky form from behind the steering wheel. He closed his door and went around to the passenger side and pulled her door open. Slowly, she shifted until she was sitting sideways with her feet on the asphalt. 

She dreaded the idea of standing up because she knew the motion would send pain arcing through her already aching body. 

"Kensi?" 

She glanced up to see him watching her with worry on his handsome face. She hated that she was the cause of it. 

"I'm okay. Just give me a minute." She took a deep breath and stood up. Agonizing pain swept through her body. She gritted her teeth to keep from crying out. He watched silently as she fought to keep the upper hand on her pain. 

"We can take as much time as you need." He told her softly. 

"I'm good to go." 

"You sure?" 

"No." She admitted, "But a hot shower, good food, pain medicine, and my bed will do wonders for me." 

"Sounds good to me too." 

When she was ready, they walked up to her front door. He unlocked the door, then proceeded her inside, turning on lights so she could easily navigate her living room. 

She felt tears fill her eyes as she gazed around at her familiar surroundings. She'd missed her small apartment more than she'd realized. 

"While you take a shower, I'll order us some take out?" He suggested. "What are you hungry for?" 

"You choose. You know what I like." 

She disappeared into her bedroom while he went in search of the stack of take-out menus she always had on hand. He found them in a drawer and leafed through them. He selected a menu for a restaurant they both loved, pulled out his cell, and ordered favorite entrees for them.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Kensi winced as she stripped out of the loose-fitting clothing the medical staff at Edwards had given her to wear. She unwound the bandages from around her waist, tossing them into the trashcan, along with her borrowed clothing. She'd have Deeks tape her up again before they went to bed. She turned on the shower, waited until it was a temperature her body could stand, then stepped under the spray. 

The hot water felt good on her aching muscles. She hissed as hot pain spiked through her torso when she reached up to massage shampoo into her hair. She ignored the pain as best she could while she rinsed it, then conditioned it, and rinsed it again. She quickly washed her body before turning the water off. 

It felt so good to be clean again. She'd washed up at Camp Chapman, but it wasn't the same as taking a shower. She wound her hair into a towel, before wrapping another one around her body. She padded into her bedroom and over to her dresser, where she drew out a cotton nightdress and undies. 

The spicy aroma of sautéed onions and garlic, mixed with the sweet scent of ginger, brown sugar, and soy sauce made her stomach rumble. Deeks had ordered Bulgogi. She was suddenly ravenous. 

She slipped on her panties and was about to remove the towel from around her torso when she heard Deeks say her name.

"Kensi?" 

She turned toward the doorway to see him standing in it. He was looking at her with a mixture of undisguised love and desire. There was pain in his eyes too. She knew he was seeing the multitude of motley-hued bruising all over her bare arms, legs, shoulders, and was tormenting himself by imagining how she'd gotten them. 

"Deeks, don't." She implored, walking over to him. "I'm fine." 

"You're not fine." He reached out to caress a bruise on her upper arm. 

"I will be fine." She corrected her earlier statement. "The worse part is behind me." 

"You weren't…?" There was anguish on his face and in his voice as he posed the question. 

"No." She was quick to assure him. "As difficult as it was, the torture I endured never became sexual." 

His relief was instantaneous. "That's good." 

She kissed him. "Give me a couple of minutes to get dressed and then I'll join you." 

He nodded and left her bedroom. Kensi dropped the towel and slipped the nightgown over her head. She pulled the towel off her head and tried to brush her hair but gave up after a few moments. She tied it in a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck, and then joined Deeks in the living room. 

It was a meal she'd had dozens of times before but tonight she ate as if she'd never eaten Bulgogi before. There were also Crab Rangoon, Veggie Egg Rolls, Almond Cookies, Chinese Donuts, and cold Cokes to wash it all down. She ate until she was so stuffed she didn't think she could move. 

"That was so good." She said leaning against the back of the couch. 

"Yes, it was." He, too, leaned back too and studied her. 

She yawned and closed her eyes. 

"You should go to bed." He stifled a yawn and stood up. 

He made short work of carrying their dishes into the kitchen and putting their leftovers in the refrigerator. He smiled when he returned to the living room and caught her dozing on the couch.

He sat down on the couch beside her. "Kensi?" 

Her eyelids fluttered open and she yawned. "Did I fall asleep again?" 

He smiled. "Yes. Come on, let's get you into bed." 

He slipped an arm gently around her waist, being careful not to press tightly so as not to cause her any additional pain and eased her off the couch. She hissed in pain and he froze until she nodded that she could continue onto her bedroom. 

He helped her settle on the edge of the bed, before going into the living room to grab the bag with the medical supplies she'd been given and returned to the bedroom. She lifted her nightgown until it was bunched just below her breasts and held it while he gently wrapped her ribs again. He dabbed salve on her varied cuts and scrapes before he stood up and moved into the bathroom to wash his hands. 

She eased off the bed and moved to grab her brush from the top of her dresser, before returning to sit back on the edge of her bed. When he came out of the bathroom, he was carrying a glass of water.

"Trade you?" He handed her the glass of water and took her brush from her. He rummaged through the bag of medical supplies until he came up with a small sack with two pill bottles in it. He opened first one bottle, then the other, and deposited a pill from each into her free hand. Obligingly, she popped the pills into her mouth and swallowed them with a mouthful of water. 

He stood up, took the glass of remaining water from her, and deposited it on the nightstand. Then he beckoned her to shift on the edge of the bed, so he had better access to her hair. With slow, gentle strokes, he soon had the tangles out of her glorious wet tresses. 

When he was finished, he stood up, giving her room to maneuver her sore body into a somewhat comfortable position on her bed. He covered her up with the blankets and turned to exit the room. 

She caught him by the hand. "Don't leave." 

"I'm not." He assured her. "I'm going to crash on your couch." 

"No. I want you to sleep in here with me." 

He wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms as they slept but wondered if it was a good idea. She was battered up enough without him thrashing about as they slept and him possibly injuring her further. 

"Kens…" 

"Please. The one thing that got me through what happened in that hellhole was you. Us. Being together. I'm in no shape to do anything other than sleep right now, and I want to do that with you lying next to me." 

The tears standing in her pleading dark eyes was nearly his undoing. He'd do anything to chase away her memories of her torture anyway he could. 

"I'll stay with you." 

Relief flooded through her. As he stripped down to his boxers, she carefully scooted into the center of her bed so that he could slide under the covers beside her. It took them a few minutes to settle into a comfortable enough position for her with Deeks' still being able to hold her close. 

"I missed this." He whispered huskily, pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

"Me, too." She murmured sleepily. 

He smiled and closed his eyes. There would be time for them to talk in the hours and days ahead. Tonight, he was simply happy to be holding her close as they slept.


End file.
